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leadership

What has a hundred legs, sits in your office, occupies fifty computer screens, clicks on keyboards and trackpads all day, and gets nothing accomplished? Answer: Your development team. Wait, the CEO says. What is going on here? We hired a bunch of developers. We bought a very long party table and two very long benches. … Read more

Ok, this is my last post of 2015. For those keeping track: yes, I fell off the wagon in November and most of December. Something about taking a new position that requires a rather high level of output and time-on-task. But I digress. I’ve written previously about the perils of focusing on technical skills at … Read more

The topic of organizational health in the knowledge-work field does not always get into the news, but the recent Amazon press here and here and here (among many other articles) has made for some reading that is both fascinating and morbid. Isn’t it entertaining to step back and listen to casual laypeople talking about the … Read more

Consider, if you will, a company that has an engineer whom they consider a “rock star.” He is constantly asked to put in extra time, which he does without question. He fixes every bug that comes his way, even when he considers it a requirements problem instead of a bug. Invisibly to the business, he … Read more

What do bagel shops and engineering have in common? More than you might think! Bill Gates once said: “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” I think most business should pay meaningful attention to that statement. At upper echelons of management, this kind of viewpoint on customer focus and process optimization is … Read more

Imagine this scenario: A seemingly great company woos you with overtures about their great software, unheard-of cultural values, and equally great support of software engineering best practices. They promise you that the sky is the limit! You will be working on the next generation of their flagship product, pushing the company into greatness, if you … Read more

What can software people learn from Navy SEALs? Plenty! If there is any organization that knows something about unit integrity, teamwork and operational leadership, it is the Navy SEALs. While I am not a SEAL, and I certainly would not claim their skills, I have applied some SEAL-inspired principles in the software domain. I’ve always … Read more